Door check and closer.



No. 633,682. Patented Sept. 26, |899. E. CLIFF.

DOOR CHECK AND CLOSER.

/N VENTOH 'l W/T/VESSES y W By n4: Noams versus ca., wo'raummwnmammb. c.

No. 633,682. Patented Sept. 26, |899. E. CLIFF.

D003 CHECK AND CLOSER.

(Application led July 13, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 (No Modal.)

/N VENTOH ATTORNEY HE (gn/ gr y W/TNESSES lINiTnD STATES PATENT OFFICE,l

EDW'ARD CLIFF, OF NEVARK, NEV JERSEY.

DOOR CHECK AND CLOSER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 633,682, dated September 26, 1899.

Application filed July 13, 1899. Serial 110.723,642. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that l, EDWARD CLIFF, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Door Checks and Closers, of which the following is a specication.

The invention relates to improvements in door checks and closers; and it consists in the novel features, constructions, and combinations of parts hereinafter described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

The object of my invention is to produce a combined door check and closer which shall be more efficient and durable than the combined door checks and closers heretofore made known and in which several specific advantages are attained.

One feature of advantage derived by my invention is that the actuating-spindle, which is spring-pressed and connected with the operating-levers, is provided with an eccentric gear-wheel which engages a rack connected with the piston for operating the latter, the said eccentric gear presenting a dierential radius under the varying positions of the rack and being so disposed with relation to the rack that its longer radius engages the latter as the door approaches its closed position, whereby, although the spring has become relaxed and is under less tension, the door is positively closed, since at such time the longer radius or leverage of the eccentric gear is in position to exert its maximum force upon the piston. Thus in accordance with my invention the longer radius of the eccentric gear is in engagement with the rack connected with the piston when the door is in its closed position, and during the opening of the door the gradually-diminishing radius of the eccentric gear acts upon the said rack, whereby during the opening of the door and the compression of the spring the leverage of the gear-wheel becomes shorter, and although the tension of the said spring is increased during the opening of the door its increasing resistance is in part counteracted by the diminishing radius of the gear-wheel, the result being that the door may be opened without the application of undue force thereto.

The nature and objects of the invention and satisfactory means for carrying the same into effect will be fully understood from the detailed description hereinafter presented7 reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a top view, partly broken away, of a combined door check and closer constructed in accordance with and embodying the invention. This figure shows the position the parts will assume when the door is closed.

Fig. 2 is a central vertical longitudinal section of same on the dotted line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an end View of same, the interior parts of tlre check being indicated by dotted lines. Fig. a is a detailed side elevation of the actuating-spindle and the eccentric gear thereon. Fig. 5 is a detailed top View of the lever-arm, which in use is applied to the upper end of the aforesaid actuating-spindle. Fig. 6 is an edge view of same. Fig. 7 is a detached top view of the lever-arm, which at one end is pivotally connected with the doorcasing and at the other end with the outer end of the lever-arm carried by the actuatingspindle; and Fig. S is an edge view of same.

In the drawings, 10 designates the exterior shell or casing of the combined door check and closer; 13, the vertical actuating-spindle mounted therein and carrying the eccentric gear 14; 15, the spring which exerts its force to close the door; 16, a piston-head to act against a restraining fluid cushion during the closing of the door; 17, a rod connected with said head 16 and having the rack 18 in engagement with said eccentric gear 14; 19, a

lever-arm mounted upon the upper end of the spindle 13, and 2O the lever-arm, which at one end is pivotally secured to the lintel over the door and at its other end is pivotally secured to the outer end of the lever-arm 19.

The casing or shell 10 is in the form of an elongated cylinder having at about the central portion of its upper surface the opening 21 to admit into the casing 10 the Vertical actuatingspindle 13, carrying the eccentric gear-wheel 14. The opening21 is surrounded by the vertical flange 22, which is 'threaded at its upper portion to receive the gland-nut 23, below which and within said flange 22 are provided the packing 24 and disk 25, the latter having a bearing upon the shoulder 26,

formed to receive it. The casing or shell 10 is also formed with suitable lugs 27, which IOC al't'ord means whereby the said casing may be secured to the door or its framing.

The exterior shell or casing 10 at one end is provided with the cap 2S to close said end after the piston 16 and spring 15 have been introduced into said casing, and the otherend of said casing 10 is formed with the chamber 29, which extends laterally beyond the circumference ofthe piston-head 16, whereby said end of said casing 10 is caused to form an increased capacity for the liquid to be used within said casing and also in its exterior outlines to conform substantially to the exterior outlines of the other end of said casing.

The actuating-spindle 13 has a bearing at its lower end in the seat 30, formed inthe lower interior part of the shell or casing 10, as more clearly illustrated in Fig. 2, and said actuating-spindle at its upperend is formed with the polygonal portion 31 to receive the inner end of the lever-arm 19, as usual, the latter being retained upon said spindle 13 by means of a nut 32. XVhen the actuatingspindle 13 is in position, its eccentric gearwheel 14 is substantially in a central position intermediate the ends of said shell and also intermediate the upper and lower surfaces of said shell 0r easing, the said gear-wheel being thus on a substantially' central line extending longitudinally through the spring 15 and piston-head 16.

The piston-head 16 will be adapted to the diameter of the cylindrical interior form of the shell or casing 10 and preferably provided with through-apertures 33, normally closedA by a disk-valve plate 34, fastened upon the outer end of the head 16 by means of a screw. Then the piston-head 16 is moving toward the actuating-spindle 13, the liquid will pass through the apertures 33 and bend outward the edges of the disk 34, and when the head 16 is moving toward its end of the casing 10 the valve-disk 34 will by pressing against the liquid be retained over the end Aof the apertures 33 in a manner well understood in this art. The piston-head 16 is connected with a head 35, located at the left of the actuatingspindle 13, by means of the rod or bar 17 and the rod or bar 36, which rods or bars 17 and '36 extend longitudinally one on each side of the actuating-spindle 13 and connect the head 16 with the head 35, the latter being freely open at its center, so as to permit a free passage of the liquid through it.

The bar or rod 36 presents simplyplain inner surfaces and is sufliciently removed from the bar or rod 17 to admit of the proper operation of the eccentric gear 14. The bar or rod 17 is furnished with the rack 13, whose teeth are vertical and the line of whose teeth is inclined, as more clearly illustrated in Fig. 1, the purpose of the inclination of the rackteeth 18 being to enable the eccentric gearwheel 14 to maintain its engagement therewith during the changing radius of said gearwheel while the door is opening and closing. The actu atin g-spindle 13 is introduced downward between the bars 17 and 36, connected with the piston-head 16, and has its eccentric gear 14 in constant mesh with the rack 18. The bar 36 while presenting plain inner surfaces is inclined to correspond with the inclination of the rack 13, as indicated more clearly in Fig. 1, whereby said bar 36 is enabled to maintain a close relation to the edges of the gear-wheel 14 during the rotation ofthe latter and to aid in maintaining the constant and rm engagement of the gear-wheel 14 with the rack 18. In the absence of the bar 36 or some equivalent means the tendency of the gear-wheel 14 would be to force the bar 17 and the piston-heads 16 and 35 away from it and against the walls of the cylindrical casing 10; but the bar 36 acts as aA stop to prevent such effect, the said bar checking any tendency on the part of the gear-wheel 14 to move the rack 1S outward from it.

The piston-head 35 serves as a guide and as a bearing for the inner end of the coiled spring 15 introduced into the casing 10 intermediate said head 35 and the cap 2S. As a means for adjusting the tension of the spring 15 I apply intermediate the outer end of said spring and the cap 2S the follower37, which is in the form ot' a disk of concavoconvex form at its middle portions, extending inward within the outline formed by the coils of the spring 15. Vhen the follower 37 is against the inner surfaces of the cap 28, the spring 15 will be at its initial tension; but should it be desired to increase the tension of said spring in orderto meet conditions that may arise the follower 37 will be moved inward against the spring by means ofthe screw 33, applied centrally through the end of the cap 23, the screw 3S and follower 37 serving as a means for adjusting the tension of the spring 15 without disturbing any of the other parts of the combined check and closer.

At the end of the cylindrical casing 10 adjacent to the piston-head 16 are preferably provided a by-pass 39 and a screw-valve 40 for regulating the opening through the same, the said by-pass 39 and screw-valve 40 being well known in this art. The present invention is not limited to the presence of the by-pass 39 and screw-valve 40, nor is it limited to the presence of the apertures l33 and disk valve 34 for the piston-head' 16, the said features specified being old in this art.

The lever-arm 19 is of usual constructiony and is applied upon the upper end of the actu ating-spindle 13 in a'well-known manner. The lever-arm 2O at one end is pivotally secured to a customary form of bracket 41, by which it may be connected with the lintel over the door to which the door closer and check by means of the lugs 27 may be applied. The outer end of the lever-arm 2O is formed with the elongated slot 42, having several bearing-surfaces for the screw 43, by which said end is secured to the outer end of the lever-arm 19. The elongated slot 42 of the IOO IIO

form shown ena-bles an adjustment of the outer ends of the lever-arms 1f) and 2() with respect to one another.

The interior of the casing 10 will be substantially filled with a suitable fluid or liquid of the character customarily employed in combined door checks and closers.

Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate the position of the parts of the apparatus in their normal condition. When the check and closer are applied to a door and the door opened, the arms 10 and 2O will have their usual movement and cause the actuating-spindle 13 to rotate. The rotation of the spindle 13 effects a like movement in the eccentric gear-wheel 14, and the latter during the opening of the door will rotate against the teeth of the rack 18 and move the piston 16 toward the spindle 13 and the piston-head 35 against the spring 15, the latter being compressed to an extent corresponding with the distance t-he door may be opened. During the opening of the door the liquid within the casing 10 will pass freely through the piston-head and also through the head 10. the spring 15 acting against the piston-head will cause the rack 18 to rotate the gearwheel 14 and actuating-spindle 13 in a reverse direction and close the door, the spring 15 during the closing ofthe door being checked by the liquid at the right-hand end of the cylindrical casing 10, the said liquid being permitted to escape to the opposite side of the piston-head 1G through a restricted opening. When the door is in its closed position, the longer radius of the eccentric gear-wheel 14 is substantially at right angles to the longitudinal line extending through the piston 16, and as the door opens the eccentric gear 14 will rotate and bring its gradually-diminishing radius-lines against the rack 1S and at right angles to a longitudinal line eX- tending through the piston-head 16. During the closing of the door the eccentric gear 14 is reversed in its motion and gradually the longer radius-line of said gear is brought into a position at substantially right angles to the longitudinal line of the piston-head 16. I regard the employment of the eccentric gear 14, in connection with the actuating-spindle and a piston to be driven by said gear, as of great importance in this art without regard to the other details of form, construction, and arrangement presented. The eccentric gearwheel 14 presents its longer radius or leverage to act upon the piston when the closingspring is relaxing and becoming weaker, and thus although the spring by relaxing becomes weaker this lack of force is compensated for by the longer leverage of the gear-wheel 14, with the result that the door will close firmly until latched. During the first part of the closing movement of the door the shorter radius of the gear-wheel 14 is in engagement with the rack 1S, and at such time it is proper that the piston should not have an accelerated \Vhen the door is released, the force ofl motion. During the opening of the door and the compression of the spring the shorter radius of the eccentric gear 14is brought into engagement with the rack 18, and although at such time the force of the spring is increasing the fact that the shorter radius of the eccentric gear 14 is engaging the rack 1S results in the door opening, under moderate pressure, against the increasing resistance of the spring 15. The eccentric gear-wheel 14 thus acts with greater force at the closingpoint of the door, although at such time the spring 15 has become weakened by its relaxation, and the said gear-wheel 14 during the opening of the door and the compression of the spring shortens its leverage, so that a moderate pressure against the door is sufficient to open the latter, even though at such time the force of the spring by its compression is growing stronger.

The invention is not in every instance limited to the employment of the eccentric gear 14, since if a plain concentric gear-wheel were employed in lieu of the eccentric gearwheel the apparatus shown would still possess advantages over the prior art.

That I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a doorcheck and closer, the actuatingspindle having the eccentric gear, combined with the piston, and the rack operatively connected with said piston and engaging said gear, the said rack and gear being so arranged with respect to one another that during the closing of the door the longer radius of said gear will gradually pass into engagement with said rack and during the opening of the door the shorter radius of said gear will gradually pass into engagement with said rack; substantially as set forth.

2. In a door check and closer, the actuatingspindle having the eccentric gear, the piston comprising the two connected heads, and the rack operatively connected with said piston and said gear, combined With the door-closing spring arranged to press against one of said heads, the said gear being arranged to gradually present its longer radius to said rack during the closing of the door and its shorter radius to said rack during the opening of the door; substantially as set forth.

3. In a door check and closer, the actuatingspindle having the eccentric gear, combined with the piston, the rack operatively connected with said piston and said gear, and a bar parallel with said rack to prevent said gear from unduly pressing said piston against the side wall of the check-casing; substantially as set forth.

4. In a door check and closer, the actuatingspindle having the eccentric gear, combined with the piston provided with the two slanted bars conlining said gear and one of which has the rack in engagement with said gear; substantially as set forth.

5. In adoorcheck and closer, the actuating- IOO spindle, and a gear thereon, combined with the Cylindrical easing, the piston-head 16 at one end of said easing, the rack-bar connected at one end with said head and engaging said gear-wheel, the follower or head 35 in line with said piston and Connected with the other end of said rack-bar, the coiled spring 15 within that end of said Cylinder removed from the end thereof containing said piston, the follower 37 engaging the outer end of said spring, and the threaded screw 3S engaging the threaded aperture in the end Cap 2S of said cylinder and bearing with its inner end Centrally against said follower; substantially as set forth. y

6. In a dooreheel; and eloser,the Cylindrical easing, the Vertieal actuating-spindle substantially central therein, and a gear-wheel on said spindle and within said easing, conibined with the piston-head 16 at one side of said spindle, the rack-bar connected at one end with said piston-head and engaging said gear-wheel, the head 35 Connected with said rack-bar and being at the other side of said spindle,and the coiled spring within the other end of said Cylinder and pressing against said head 85, the piston-head 16 being thus oonined to the end of the cylinder at one side of said actuating-spindle, and said spring being eonned to the end of said cylinder at the other side of said actuating-spindle; substantially as set forth.

7. In a. door cheek and eloser,the cylindrical easing, Jthe vertical actuating-spindle snhstantially Central therein, and a gear-wheel on said spindle and within said easing, coinbined with the piston-head 16 at one side of said spindle,the rack-bar connected at one end with said piston-head and engaging said gearwheel, the head 35 Connected with said rackbar and being at the other side of said spindle, the additional bar connecting said heads to preventsaid gear from unduly driving said piston against the side wall of said Cylinder, and the coiled spring within the other end of said cylinder and pressing against said head 35, the piston-head 16 being thus confined to the end of the Cylinder at one side of said aotuating-spindle, and said Spring being confined to the end of said cylinder at the other side of said actuating-spindle; substantially as set forth.

Signed at New York, in the oountyof New York and State of New York, this 11th day of July, A. D. 1809.

ED VARD CLIFF.

iVitnesses:

CHAS. C. GILL, GUNDER GUNDERSON. 

